WASHINGTON, D.C. — Congressman David Schweikert introduced the Paws Off Act of 2025, bipartisan legislation designed to promote safe labeling requirements for pet safety. The bill would amend the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act to initiate rulemaking that would require foods containing the chemical xylitol to be considered mislabeled unless the product has a warning label specifying its toxic effects on pets if ingested.
Xylitol is increasingly found in foods like mints, baked goods, desserts, vitamins, and gum. A lack of proper labeling can often make it difficult for pet owners to determine which products, including those ingested by mistake, could be deadly to their pets.
In a petition put forth by 11-year-old Ahana Kameshwar, we read the gut-wrenching story of how her loyal companion, Loki, passed away due to the lack of proper labeling on such products containing this lethal substance. Congressman Schweikert had the opportunity to sit down with Ahana virtually and listen to her experience.
“We had we had Loki for about five years. One day, after we got back from our summer trip, he got into a bottle of melatonin pills that we forgot to put away while [un]packing,” Ahana said. “Those pills, they had 250 milligrams of xylitol in each tablet. Here’s the problem; the xylitol was listed, but the dosage wasn’t. Loki [ingested] about 85 tablets. His liver started failing and ultimately, we had to put him down.“
Photo of Loki, former family pet of the Kameshwar family.
It’s evident that millions of Americans are unaware of just how dangerous xylitol can be to their dogs. In fact, according to the Poison Pet Helpline, xylitol exposures are not limited to food and often involve medication, supplements, dental products, and skin care products.
“Xylitol is very dangerous to dogs, and we need to make others aware,” Ahana writes in her petition. “[I] ask Congress to strengthen the PAWS Off Act so that no other families have to lose their pets the way I lost mine. We can save so many pets by making these changes!“
“The legislation is super important, as we don’t pay attention to animal welfare as much as we probably should. This is so subtle, but the number of pets that get poisoned due to just xylitol, [Loki] is just one of them, right?” Ahana’s mother, Bhaavna Kameshwar said. “Having clear cut labels is very, very important to ensure.“
“We have been working tirelessly to move this simple, yet impactful piece of legislation through Congress. The damage of these sugar alcohols is truly lethal for our pets and furry companions,” said Rep. Schweikert. “All it takes is a simple labeling fix to prevent more people from enduring the heartache that Ahana went through, and better yet, to save the lives of animals across America.”
“More than 83 million American homes include at least one pet. We are a nation of animal lovers and often our first connections with animals are the pets we share our homes with,” said Humane Society Legislative Fund President, Sara Amundson. “This is why the Humane Society Legislative Fund strives to preserve this special bond by supporting key legislation to ensure our pet’s food and treats are safer. We salute Rep. Schweikert and his bipartisan cosponsors for providing better guardrails against toxic reactions through the Paws Off Act.”
Background on the Paws Off Act:
- According to veterinary toxicology experts at Pet Poison Helpline, between 2015 and 2020, calls regarding xylitol poisoning increased 108 percent.
- The biggest one-year increase was in 2019, when calls were up 47.2 percent from 2018.
- Interestingly, in 2020 xylitol poisoning calls to the Helpline were second only to regular chocolate poisoning calls.
- Xylitol was the 4th most common exposure call to the Pet Poison Helpline in 2023.
You can read the full bill text here.
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